Continuous-casting machine



Nov. 19, 1929. J, N, DAVIS 1,736,308

CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1928 3 Sheets-Shee1v l Nov. 19, 1929. J. N. DAVIS 1,736,308

CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 'I L fl I /2 gWnto/c SHOM/w14 Nov. 19, 1929. J. N. DAvls CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 glu/vento@ atroz nu* Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JASPER N. DAVIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO BATTERY SERVICE STATIONS, INC., 0F DENVER., COLORADO CONTINUOUS-CASTING MACHINE Appiioation nien January 2i, 192s. semi No. 218,337.

This invention relates to a machine for forming a continuous casting and is more particularly adaptable to the forming of storage battery grids in a continuous series.

The princpal object of the invention is. to provide a machine of this character which will operate eliciently to automatically form a continuous series of castings directly from a supply of molten metal.

Anot er object of the invention is to provide means or'automaticall clamping two halves of a mold together to orm the casting and to automatically withdraw the two halves from the completed casting after it has been formed.

Still another object is to provide a machine which will form castings from individual molds and fuse the casting of one mold into another so as to form a continuous series of castings.

A further object resides in the means employed for heating the molds before lilling and coolin the molds after filling.

Other o jects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and eliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accom panying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

On the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved casting machine, with the side supporting structure cut away on the line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail section through one of the molds, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear view of one of the molds illustrating details of the chain construction.

Fig. 5 is a vertical center section through the machine, taken-on the line 5 5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lead valve controls, taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the casting which is formed when themachine is being used for the manufacture of storage battery plate grids.

The machine comprises two traveling series of molds 10 and 11, respectively. When the face of one ofthe molds 10 is brought against the face of one of the molds 11 a complete mold for the article being manufactured is formed. The machine is adaptable vto the casting of a great varietV of articles and is not limited to any particular use. It will be herein described as applied to the forming of storage battery grids.

The molds 10 and 11 are secured together in their series by means of links 12 placed at each end of each mold uponl pivot pins 13. The pivot pins 13 are extended to form studs for the support of sprocket rollers 14. Each series of molds is supported on upper shaft 15 which carries two sprocket wheels 16l that support the mold series by contacting with the sprocket rollers 14 of the chain.

At the bottom of the machine `each series of molds passes around a pair of sprocket wheels 17 which Contact with the sprocket rollers 13 and are carried on shafts 18.

rlhe two series of molds 10 and 1l are caused to travel simultaneously and at the same speed by rotating the shafts 15 so that they will move downwardly at their adjacent sides. Thus the sprockets 16 will serve as drive sprockets and the sprockets 17 simply as idlers. The faceA of each of the molds carries a negative imprint 19 of one half of the completed casting.

Above the molds and midway between the two series is a lead pot 20, covered by a lid 21, in which, vlead or other material of which the castings are to be formed is kept in a molten condition by means of burners 22. A lead discharge passage 23 extends laterally, entirely across the pot 20 and downward y between the two series of molds. To prevent the material from congealing in the discharge passage 23, additional burners 24 are provided for heating the passage.

The flow of the metal through the passage 23 is controlled by means of simultaneously operating but alternately opening valves which are placed'one above the other in the passage 23. The up er valve is designated by the numeral 25 an the lower valve by the numeral 26. The two series of molds pass downwardly on each side 4of the passage 23 with their faces 19 in close proximlty thereto. The passage radiates heat, from the molten metal it contains, and acts to heat the mold faces as they ass.

As each pair of molds 10 and 11 reach the lower extremity of the passage 23 their faces areforced together, to form a complete closed mold', by means of cams 27 and 28 which are carried on suitable cam shafts 29 and 30, respectively. The cam shafts 29 and\30 are driven by means of sprocket chains 31 from sprockets 32 on'the drive shafts 32. The

ratio of the drive is such that the cam shafts will revolve once for each as the mold series travels the length ofl a mold. After being forced together by means of the cams 27 an 28 the molds are maintained together by means of guides 33 which en age the cham rollers 14 at each extremity o each mold. Y

In operation the lead pot 2O is illed with metal which is melted by the heat from the burners 22 and 24. The lead flows down the passage 23 to the closed lower valve The drive'sprockets 16 are now -put 1n motion causing thev two series of molds to move downwardly at the center of the machine. The cams clamp a pair of the molds together below the passage 23, the lower valve 26 opens and the upper valve 25 cl'oses.

This allows the amount of metal which has been contained between the two valves and which has been previously determined to be suiiicient to Yfill the mold, to flow 1nto the space between the two clamped together are cooled by means of an air blast from air pipes 34, which are provided with nozzles to direct the blast directly against the backs l of the molds as they pass.

When the molds reach the lower extremities of the guides 33 they are pulled apart by the spaced a art positioning of the-idler sprocket wheels 1% so as to release the castin which hasbythistime solidified. The mold aces are so arranged thateach new casting is melted into the previously formed casting. to form a continuous series of castings as shown at 35, Figs. 1 and 7. In the manufacture of storage battery plates this continuous casting may be cut apart at the points indicated by the broken line in Fig. 7 to form individual plates. n

The metal is prevented from fiowing from the sides of the pressed together molds by means of stop strips 36 between which the molds slide.

. pipes 39.

1,7ae,sos l l `rest one upon the other. This prevents' the molten metal from iiowing outwardly between th'e individual moulds.

Should the radiated heat from the passage 23 be insuiicient to heat the adjacent moulds a series of gas burners 37 or the like may be placed between the up er pairs of sprocket wheels so as to direct a ame against the rear faces of the moulds. These burners are carried onbent gas pipes 38 and air levers are operated from a connecting rod 42 which is actuated by a cam 43 on a cam shaft 44. The cam shaft 44 is driven in any desired manner such as by a chain 45 from one of the driving shafts l5.

The Vaction of the valve mechanism is as follows: When one of themoulds has been clamped into. position below the passage 23, the cam 43 will allow the connecting rod 42 to be forced downwardly by means of a spring 46 thus opening the lower valve 26 and closing the upper valve 25. As the filled mould moves away from the passage 23 the cam43 will raise the. connecting rod 42 so as to close the lower valve 26 and open the upper valve 25 for a fresh charge. f"

The entire machine maybe driven from any suitable source of power through a belt 47 and belt pulley 48 or inany other desired manner. If necessary a brake or other drag may be applied to the lower sprocket wheels so as to force the mould faces together as they descend.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that the moulds 10 and 11 have their extremities machined to true plane surfaces at right angles to the face of the moulds so that when they are together they will fit tightly together and prevent the melted metal from escaping between the moulds. This is important for if the ends of the moulds are at an angle toeach other, it will be impossible to ill the space between the moulding faces. The top strips 36 are pressed tightly against the sides of the moulds and may be held in engagement therewith by means of springs (not shown), if desired, to prevent escape of the metal and to form a completely closed mould.

To allow the moulds to be pressed together and accommodate for wear on the contacting l 1,7ae,sos

faces of' the moulds, the pivot holes in the links 12 may be slightly elongated so that the moulds can be moved toward each other until the extremities contact.

Should it be found that moulds cool too rapidly so that the incoming lead does not fuse with that previously moulded, the gas pipe 38 may be continued further downwardly so that additional burners 37 may be provided. In this case, the air pipes 34 would be similarly lowered so as not to chill the moulds too quickly.

While I have herein illustrated and described in some detail forms of my invention, it is understood that the invention is not to be` regarded limited to the precise construction described, except in so far as such limitations are included with the terms of the accompanying claims, in 4which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as is permissible in view of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire secured by Letters Patent is 1. A continuous casting machine comprising two traveling series of independent moulds; means for forcing a mould of one series into contact with a mould of the other series; means for supplying molten metal to the contacting moulds, said means for forcing comprising cams adapted to contact with said moulds and force them toward each other.

2. A continuous casting machine comprising two traveling series of inde endent moulds; means for forcing a moul of one series into contact with a mould of the other series, means for supplying molten metal to the contacting moulds; means for maintaining said moulds in contact until said metal congeals and side plates adapted to engage the sides of said moulds and prevent said metal from escaping, said moulds being arranged to slide along said side plates.

3. A continuous casting machine comprising two series of co-acting, vertically traveling moulds, the moulds in each series being independent of each other; pivoted links connecting the adjacent moulds in each series; sprocket wheels adapted to support each series of moulds; a molten metal passage extending downwardly between said two coacting series and-driven means for forcing the co-acting moulds horizontally together as they reach the lower extremity of said passage.

4. A continuous casting machine comprising two series of co-acting traveling moulds, the moulds in each series being independent of each other; pivoted links connecting the adjacent moulds in each series; sprocket wheels adapted to support each series of moulds; a molten metal container arranged above said series; a molten metal passage extending 4downwardly between said two coacting series; means for forcing the co-acting moulds to ether as they reach the lower extremity o said passage and valves in said passage arranged to discharge a' predetermined amount of molten metal between said pressed together moulds, said valves being synchronized to complete a cycle of operation v as each mold passes said extremity.

5. A continuous casting machine comprising two series of co-acting traveling moulds, the mould's'in each series being independent of each other; pivoted links connecting the adjacent moulds in each series; sprocket wheels adapted to support each series of moulds; a molten metal passage extending downwardly between said two co-acting series and means for forcing the co-acting moulds together as they reach thelower extremity of said passage, salid means comprising positively driven cams adapted to contact with said moulds as they reach the lower extremity of said passage, said cams being so contoured as to force said co-acting moulds toward each other. y

-6. A continuous casting machine comprising two series of co-acting, vertically traveling. moulds, the moulds in each series being independent of each other; pivoted links connectlng the adjacent moulds in each series; sprocket wheels adapted to support each series of moulds; a molten metal container arranged above said series; a molten inetal passage extending downwardly between said two co-actlng series; valves in said passage arranged to discharge a predetermined amount .of molten meta-l between said pressed together moulds, said valves being operated fromA the rotation of said sprocket wheels so that they will operate in synchronism with the travel of said moulds.

7. Means for supplying a predetermined amount of molten metal to a series of traveling moulds comprising a metal passage; a first valve adapted to control said passage and a second valve arranged to open only when said first valve is closed, both of said valves being operatively connected with said series of traveling moulds so as to operate synchronously therewith.

8. Means forsupplying a predetermined amount of molten metal to a series of traveling moulds comprising a metal passage; a first valve adapted to control said passage; a. second valve adapted to control said assage, said first valve arranged to open on y when second valve is closed, said second valve arranged to open only when said first valve is closed and means for operating said valves comprising levers carried on extensions of said valves; a connecting rod extending.v between said levers and a cam adapted to move said connecting rod so as to operate said Y valves simultaneously, said cam being actuated by 'the movement of said traveling molten metal feed passage extendin moulds so as to actuate said moulds synchronously therewith.

9. A continuous casting machine comprising: two traveling series of independent moulds; means for forcing a mould of one series into contact with a mould ofthe other series, said means comprising a cam for each of said latter moulds arranged to act simultaneously upon them to force them toward each other; and means for supplying molten metal to the contacting moulds, said cams arranged to make a complete revolution during the passage of Aeach mould.

10. A continuous cast-ing machine comprising: two vertically traveling series of co-acting moulds each series comprising an endless linked chain; a pair of sprocket Wheels for each chain positioned in vertical alignment, the two pairs being positioned apart a distance that would normally maintain the two series of co-acting moulds spaced apart; a

downwardly and `terminating between sai spaced apart series; and means for forcing each pair of co-acting moulds horizontally into contact immediately below the terminus of said feed passage as they travel, said means comprising synchronously driven members adapted to act against said air of moulds as the terminus of said fee passage is reached.

l1. A continuous casting machine comprising: two vertically traveling series of co-acting moulds each series comprising an endless linked chain; a pair of sprocket wheels for eah chain positioned in vertical alignment, the two pairs being positioned apart a distance that would normall maintain the two series of co-actin moul s spaced apart; a molten metal fee passa e extending downwardly and terminating etween said spaced apart series; and means for forcing each pair of co-acting moulds horizontally into contact immediately below the terminus of said feed passage as they travel, said means comprising synchronously driven members adapted to act against said pair of moulds as the terminus of said feed passage is reached, said driven members comprising cams adapted to contact with the rear faces of said lpair of moulds when they reach the desired position.

12. In a continuous casting machine having guide tracks for maintaining two traveling series of co-acting moulds in contact; means for aligning said series with said tracks comprising synchronously operating, positively driven members arranged to move said moulds out of their line of travel and v into alignment with said tracks.

1n testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

JASPER N. DAVIS. 

